Kisses in the Night
by JavisTG
Summary: A sleepless night. A whispered name. What will happen when Peeta finally finds the courage to tell Katniss how he feels? A modern-day AU one-shot.


**Kisses in the Night**

Katniss stared at the ceiling.

Her eyes followed the rhythmic dance of beams of light -cast by the occasional car passing underneath her window- as they split the shadows in half, chasing the darkness away.

Her cellphone's screen lit up with an incoming message. She reached for it wondering who could be writing so late.

 **Peeta M:** You awake?

Katniss frowned. It was well after midnight, Peeta -her best friend, and downstairs neighbor- was supposed to be out on a hot date with a red-headed beauty. Why would he be calling her?

Intrigued, and a bit worried, she typed, "Yup."

She had barely pressed 'send' when a new message popped up on her screen.

 **Peeta M:** Meet me in the hallway?

Katniss sat up. Her fingers danced over the keypad as she typed, "Sure."

She got out of bed and walked over to her dresser. Peeta had seen her in her sleep clothes before, but the socks, boy shorts, and tank top she was wearing didn't really count as an outfit.

Opening the top drawer, she grabbed an oversized sweatshirt and pulled it over her head. Trying not to trip, she hastily made her way to the front door.

Katniss opened the door just a crack and found Peeta already waiting for her, leaning against the wall across from her apartment while he played with the phone in his hands.

Katniss frowned. He was still wearing his date clothes, —charcoal trousers and a fitted powder blue shirt that made his eyes sparkle and hugged his broad frame— but his blond hair was a tousled mess; his handsome face eerily pale as it reflected the light emanating from his cellphone's screen.

"Hey," she greeted.

Peeta looked up from his phone. "Hey, Katniss." Pushing himself away from the wall, he slipped the cell into his back pocket.

"What's up?" she asked. "Where's Lavinia?"

Peeta shrugged. "She's gone," he said.

A traitorous gust of cold wind came in from the corridor. It wrapped itself around Katniss's bare legs, climbing up her spine and making her shiver.

Feeling suddenly exposed, Katniss wrapped her arms around herself. "Wanna come in?" she asked, stepping away from her door and back into the warm comfort of her home.

Peeta stepped into the apartment. Carefully, he closed the door behind him.

Dragging her sock-clad feet along the hallway, Katniss made her way to the kitchen, humming to herself and turning on the lights as she went.

Peeta's footsteps resonated loudly as he followed.

Once inside the kitchen, she reached for the fridge. "Would you like something to drink?" she offered. "I've got milk, beer-,"

"Got anything stronger?" he asked, pulling a stool from under the kitchen island and sitting on it.

"Yeah," she said, forgetting about the fridge and turning to the cupboard instead.

Standing on the tips of her toes, she reached for a bottle. "I still have some of that whiskey Gale gave me for my birthday."

"That could work."

Katniss poured two glasses and took them over to where Peeta was sitting. After leaving the glasses on the countertop, she grabbed a stool for herself, placed it next to Peeta's, and hopped on it.

Peeta clinked their glasses together and took a sip.

Katniss followed suit.

A strained silence settled over them as Katniss waited for Peeta to talk. She didn't want to pressure him, but she was dying to know what had happened.

She had known Lavinia for a while —the fiery redhead had been one of the first friends she'd made at work.

Lavinia was hardworking, smart and witty. She always had a kind word for everyone. She was supportive without being corny, and she was generous, thoughtful.

To top it all off, she was beautiful. It was hard to believe she was still single.

For a long time, Katniss had honestly believed Lavinia would be a good match for Peeta. But she hadn't introduced them until recently because he had spent years claiming to be disinterested in finding a companion.

Lately, though, things had begun to change.

Taking another sip, Katniss turned to look at her friend. He looked tired, spent.

She had known him for years, but she couldn't remember ever seeing him like that before. Surly, angry, broken.

She couldn't recall ever hearing of a woman up and leaving him either.

"So," she asked when she couldn't take the silence anymore, "what happened?"

With a loud exhale, Peeta rested his elbows on the countertop and dropped his head in his hands. Digging his fingers into his blond waves, he roughly massaged his scalp.

When he finally spoke, his voice was distant, hollow. "We kissed."

Katniss rolled her eyes. Peeta and Lavinia kissing was hardly newsworthy, they were two full-grown adults on their third date. She was pretty sure they were way past the first kiss stage.

"And?" she prompted.

Peeta's chest rose as he filled his lungs with air. His next words came out in one long, shaky breath. "I said your name."

The earth stood still.

Out on the street, a car alarm went off. A drunken man cursed.

A few blocks down the road, a small child woke up from a nightmare.

Somewhere in the countryside, a calf was born.

Someone celebrated.

Someone cried.

Back in her kitchen, Katniss tightened her hold on her whiskey glass.

Her heart pounded in her chest, pressing against her ribcage to the point of pain.

Peeta's words delighted and terrified her all at once. They were exactly what she'd hoped to hear him say one day, and what she dreaded the most. They meant the end of their friendship and maybe…"

Katniss opened her mouth and gasped for air. The burning in her lungs made her feel like a fish out of water fighting for its next breath.

Going against her better judgment, she asked, "Why?"

Peeta let out a tired chuckle and shook his head. "Because you're you and I'm me," he said, turning towards her and waving a hand between the two of them. "And you've been pushing me away, Katniss, insisting on this pointless quest of yours. You keep looking for the right girl for me, setting me up with just anyone—,"

"Lavinia's not anyone!" she interrupted, feeling a sudden need to justify her actions. "She's one of my closest friends." Crossing her arms, she glared at him. "So, excuse me for thinking a beautiful, intelligent, funny woman would be appropriate for you!"

"You're right," he said, holding up his hands in surrender. "Lavinia's not the problem. She's great. She was actually very understanding tonight, but..." His eyes found hers, soft and pleading. Terrified. Hopeful. "She's not you, Katniss."

Peeta's words sucked whatever fight she'd had left in her. She slumped forward, dropping her gaze to her lap as she waited for an explanation she was sure would follow.

Gently, Peeta tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. His whispered words wrapped tightly around her heart. "I shouldn't have told you like this. I'm sorry. It's not your fault that I've been such a coward. I just—,"

She shook her head, cutting his apology short. Still unable to look at him, she reached for the glass, brought it to her lips, and took a long sip.

The smooth liquid traveled past her throat, warming her chest and giving her the courage she needed to say her next words. "If I'd thought, just for a second, that you thought of me that way, Peeta, I—,"

Peeta gasped. In the stillness of the room, she could hear him holding his breath.

"You?" he prompted, hooking a trembling index under her chin and forcing her to look at him.

It was like looking into a mirror.

All the things she felt for Peeta, longing, fear, need, hope, love, want. They were all painted in his beautiful blue eyes, calling out to her, begging her to speak them aloud.

 _How did I miss this_ , she wondered. _Why haven't I noticed it before?_

The answer followed right behind. _Because I've been too scared_.

Katniss swallowed thickly. Gathering the last of her courage, she said, "I never would have introduced you to any of them."

"No?" he asked, smiling that shy, sweet smile that made her heart swell.

Katniss shook her head. Her cheeks turned crimson as she admitted, "I would have kept you all to myself."

A shuddering sigh left Peeta's lips. Haltingly, he closed the distance between them, stopping only a hairsbreadth away from her face.

He was so close she could feel the warmth emanating off of him, smell the spicy cinnamon in his cologne, the whiskey on his breath.

Her spine tickled at his proximity. Her hands itched to touch him, begging to be buried in his hair.

Katniss sighed. She was tired. Tired of running, tired of denying herself of the one thing she truly desired.

Surrendering to her heart's plea, she closed her eyes and leaned in, erasing the distance between them and sealing their lips in one blissful, perfect, mind-blowing kiss.

XXXXX

 **AN.** Kudos and comments are as sweet as a night spent by Peeta's side. You always make my day when you share them with me. Thanks!

You can also find me on Tumblr. I'm javistg over there, come and say hi!

The Hunger Games Trilogy is property of Suzanne Collins. No money was made off of the creation of this fanwork.


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